Teen sex trafficking is happening here

It was reported (Nov. 9, “The World & Nation in 60 Seconds”) that there were 69 child prostitutes rescued in a nationwide FBI sting. Given that there were 15 articles in the Herald's “60 Seconds” column, that would give four seconds to each article. Four seconds about the travesty of minors sold repeatedly for the monetary gain of their pimps and perverse sexual pleasures of the johns.

In the commercial sexual exploitation of children “industry,” most of these young girls and boys are forced to service up to 15 clients a day. And that's a minimum. Three of the minors rescued were found in three Chicago suburbs. That's right in the suburbs: Lansing, Hazel Crest and Downers Grove. This information comes from an ABC 7 report, which took two minutes and 48 seconds. The Herald gave the subject only four seconds.

But those suburbs are not the Northwest suburbs, you say. Well, on Oct. 22, the Salvation Army and Shelter, Inc. held a seminar at the Schaumburg library on teenage sex slavery. In the audience were social workers from local agencies. One was from a hospital emergency room. They are updating the ER's screening tools to include questions to determine if an abuse victim is also being trafficked (sold for sex). There were about 50 people in attendance, representing agencies from throughout the Northwest suburbs.

One of the speakers stated that a local mall is the No. 1 place in the suburbs for pimps to recruit. Human trafficking has reached us here in the Northwest suburbs. Four seconds, under “The Nation.” A mere four seconds for a problem that's right here at our doorsteps. Find out more at www.traffickfree.org.

Robert Harold Graham

Palatine